Providing essential equipment, training and protective gear for MA K-9s.
Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit that has been protecting law enforcement K-9s across the Commonwealth since 2000.
Our Mission
Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Massachusetts law enforcement K-9 teams. For more than 26 years, we have raised funds to provide ballistic, stab, and blunt force trauma protective vests for working police K-9s across the Commonwealth.
As the needs of K-9 teams have evolved, so has our mission. In addition to protective vests, we provide grants for essential safety equipment, specialized training, and even help departments establish new K-9 teams by funding green K-9s. These grants are awarded during two annual funding cycles in June and December. Protective vest requests, however, are accepted and funded year-round to ensure no K-9 has to wait for the protection they need.
Our Story
Founded in 2000, Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog has donated hundreds of ballistic vests and millions of dollars in equipment and training to departments across the Commonwealth. We're powered entirely by volunteers and the generosity of our community.
Our Inspiration
The defining moment that inspired the creation of Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog was the tragic line-of-duty death of K-9 Cero on March 25, 2000. Cero was the devoted partner of Deputy William R. Niemi of the Ashtabula County Sheriff's Office in Jefferson, Ohio. His sacrifice underscored the critical need for protective equipment for law enforcement K-9s and became the catalyst for establishing an organization dedicated to protecting the dogs who serve alongside their human partners.
